Thursday's guilty plea and plea agreement from the former superintendent of the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia is a key step in the effort to seek criminal charges further up the corporate ladder at Massey Energy, according to court documents and the U.S. Attorney for the southern district of West Virginia.

When Kaiser Health News asked for questions during the Supreme Court arguments this week, one that didn't seem to get addressed in court was this:

What happens to people who have already benefited from the law? This would include seniors who got rebates in the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole," for example. Would they have to give the money back to ... the manufacturers? The government?

A review completed by the Fair Labor Association found "significant issues with working conditions at three factories in China operated by Apple's major supplier Foxconn."

Apple joined the Fair Labor Association after various reports detailed poor working conditions at the supplier factories. Those reports spawned protests against Apple and Apple responded by saying the FLA would audit the Chinese factories.

In its press release the FLA said the big issues revolved around overtime. The FLA reports:

San Francisco is considered a national leader in pro-environmental policy, advocacy, and education. And while the City is a pioneer in recycling it may be getting tougher on street recyclers who scavenge from blue bins throughout the city.

Supervisor Christina Olague has requested a hearing looking into how much money the City is losing because of scavengers, as well as ways to prevent the practice. That investigation could begin next month. Street recycling is a growing underground economy. And it is illegal. Ben Trefny has the story.

State funds are being readily directed at California’s transportation overhaul. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved a $1.5 billion dollar plan to expand Caltrain so that it can hold more riders and accommodate a high-speed rail by 2019…

Race has played an increasingly large role in the case involving the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old boy who was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer last month in Sanford, Florida.

Looking for something civilized to do on April Fool’s Day? Then consider attending a late afternoon Baroque music concert by Judith Linsenberg. Audiences throughout the United States and Europe have heard Lisenberg play her recorder, including solo appearances at the Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center. You’ll be able to hear her at the Northbrae Community Church in Berkeley this Sunday.

Voting along party lines, the House of Representatives passed a 2013 budget that was crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin.

Politico reports:

"The 228-191 vote gives the embattled GOP leadership what it most wanted: a show of party unity behind a bold election-year vision that includes new private options for Medicare and a simplified tax code.

Hundreds of thousands across Spain took to the streets to protest the latest austerity measures proposed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The protests were the culmination of a 24-hour general strike that affected air travel and public transportation.

The AP reports:

It turns out your brain is organized even if you're not.

At least that's the conclusion of a study in Science that looked at the network of fibers that carry signals from one part of the brain to another.